Batgirl: Gotham Gal
by dxmen
Summary: Barbara Gordon has spent some time away from crime fighting. Now she's looking to work off the rust and get back into the caped crusading business.
1. Chapter 1

Batgirl: Gotham Gal

Batgirl: Gotham Gal

Chapter One: Back in the Saddle

_Wanting to follow in the crime fighting footsteps of her adoptive father, Barbara Gordon donned a cape and cowl and became Batgirl. After several adventures, Barbara decided to take a break from being a hero. However, the caped crusading bug always seems to bite again…_

For Barbara Gordon it was another typical evening working as a librarian at the Gotham Library, far removed from her previous adventurous outings as Batgirl. She sat at her desk, bored out of her skull, which seemed to be the routine most of the time. She was putting off whatever filing and computer work she had to get done as she leaned back in her chair. Barbara daydreamed as she stared blankly across the room with her legs resting on the desk, one of her high-heeled shoes dangling from her foot. Her footwear's inevitable fall to the floor brought her back to her senses and she sat up suddenly. "Exciting night at the office this is," Babs thought to herself as she hobbled, one high heel on and the other foot bare, to her fallen shoe and slipped her foot back inside. "Carpal tunnel and paper cuts ahead for this librarian extraordinaire." Barbara took a quick stretch before plopping back down in her chair. Her eyes wandered to a box of doughnuts sitting on her desk, left over by the other staff members.

"Well at least there are some doughnuts left over," Barbara mumbled to herself. She reached across her desk to grab herself something from the box, but pulled her hand back at the last second. "On second thought, how about not Barb? Keep eating like this and you won't be able to fit into your Batgirl costume any more. I won't do this city any good if I become Fatgirl." Barbara spun her chair around to the side of the desk. "If I had kept on going with my Batgirl escapades those empty calories would be easily burned."

About 15 minutes passed, and Barbara was in the same position she was in earlier, this time chewing a pencil as she dangled her shoe from her foot. When her mind returned to the land of the living again, this time because she accidentally dropped her shoe into the nearby wastebasket, she decided to take action. "That's it. This stuff can get done tomorrow. It's about time I went on another patrol. I'll get a workout, maybe bust a few heads…and then I can scarf you down guilt free!" Barbara exclaimed while pointing to the doughnut box.

Barbara slipped into the bathroom at the library, and pulled out the costume she kept concealed in a backpack just in case the mood ever struck her. There was no one in sight, and really if it wasn't for her procrastination she would probably be in front of the tube at her new apartment. Barbara pulled on her crime-fitting outfit and took out her utility belt. Suddenly memories of those ads for The Incredibles ran into her head, when Mr. Incredible struggled into his superhero get-up as a result of having put on some weight. She was usually more confident than this. Her friends were always the ones commenting about how a miniscule amount of ice cream was going to make them fat, not her. Now Barbara was afraid that after some months of not being Batgirl she'd discover an increased waistline with the help of an ill-fitting costume. A few years ago college grades helped her maintain her confidence, and not long ago it was her exploits as Batgirl. She figured once she got into the swing of things again she'd be feeling great.

When she was finished fastening the utility belt around her waist, Batgirl backed away from the mirror in order to get a better look at her costume. There was no denying that it felt a little tighter than it did the last time she wore it. She wanted to blame it on the costume needing to be broken in again, but she knew better. Barbara Gordon considered herself to have a photographic memory at times. It's what helped her be an effective crime fighter. Right now she was comparing her figure to what it looked like in the costume previously, and there was no doubt in her mind that her hips were looking a little wider than before. The costume also felt particularly snug around her middle.

"I've put on a little weight for sure," Batgirl said to herself while patting her stomach. "Still, overall not too bad," she continued while twirling in front of the mirror. "Getting exercise by kicking some criminal's butts should help reduce the size of my own!"

--

Batgirl sat on a large, relatively flat statue, her hand on her cheek while she stared at Gotham's skyscrapers. Fortunately she was now wearing her yellow boots, meaning she wouldn't have to chase her footwear down several stories after this episode of tedium. "Absolutely no action where I've been," Barbara thought. "Unbelievable. The one night I dust off the costume and Gotham has a slow night." Just as Batgirl finished that thought, she saw some flashlights illuminate the windows of an otherwise dark warehouse. Knowing the city she lived in all too well, she doubted it was an employee stumbling around late at night. Batgirl grabbed the grappling gun given to her by the Dark Knight and swung to the building of interest. Once she got to the roof she peered inside. Some suspicious men were grabbing boxes on the work floor below. Barbara thought to herself how she should approach this, considering she was a bit rusty. Just then she eyed the opening to a vent several feet away. "That should give me the element of surprise, then I can get the drop on them," Barbara thought to herself. Using some tools from her belt, Batgirl went to work on the vent grate. Once she opened the vent, Batgirl took a good look at the narrow opening.

"Boy, that's going to be a tight squeeze," Batgirl said to herself. She attempted to roughly compare her figure to the size of the opening. Would she really have a chance of fitting through the vent? She managed to surprise herself in the past before. "I may have gained a little weight, but it isn't like I completely ballooned out. I should be able to pull this off." Barbara began to crawl into the vent. Batgirl couldn't help but smile. She was glad to be back in action. She pushed through the opening, slowing down as she got more of her body in. Batgirl came to a halt when she was halfway into the vent. She tugged but wasn't able to get through any further. Her hips were wedged in the opening, preventing her from moving on. "Oh crap," Batgirl whispered. "I'm stuck!"

Batgirl struggled for several minutes. She tried to hold onto the sides of the air duct and push, but she wouldn't budge. Her legs flailed in the air as she tugged and pulled. Despite her best efforts, she was stuck tight. Batgirl began to panic when she heard footsteps behind her. The footsteps were followed by laughter, as Batgirl continued to try to wiggle through the small opening.

"Oh this is classic! Batgirl?" It was Robin, the so-called Boy Wonder.

"I'm stuck," Batgirl explained.

"Not as skinny as you thought, huh?"

"Oh shut up!"

"Just like Winnie the Pooh."

Barbara's face felt warm from a mix of embarrassment and anger. Pixie boots was implying that she was fat. Batgirl then heard some yelling and punching coming from inside the building. As Robin's battle transpired Babs thought about how her confidence was slowly plummeting, just as she thought it would take off again. It wasn't long before Robin returned. "Okay, I just did your job for you." Batgirl then felt Robin tugging her by her legs.

"I can get out myself, Pixie boots!" Batgirl responded.

"Sure you can. Hey, do me a favor and suck it in!"

Batgirl was just about to let out a scream when the next thing she knew she fell on the cold ground of the building's roof. "Okay, you're going to get it now," Batgirl said as she clenched her fist and turned around, only to find darkness and nothing more. "Dad's always talking about how frustrating that is," Batgirl said to herself.

Later that night Barbara Gordon sat on her bed in her apartment thinking to herself. "Well tonight was a complete failure. If I want to be Batgirl again I got a lot of rust to work off. I may even need to hang around Robin for a little while. Ugh." Barbara stood up and took a look at herself in the mirror. Being able to fit into her costume was a confidence boost, but getting stuck in the vent negated that. Barbara was not a fan of what she saw. "And another thing, my diet starts tomorrow," Barbara whispered as she switched off the light.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Eating Like A Bird

Barbara Gordon's hand was quick to slap her alarm when it went off at 7:00 a.m. She rolled out of bed and got to her kitchen, snatching a yogurt from her refrigerator. She groggily made her way to her kitchen table and tore open the yogurt packaging. Babs twirled a spoon in the yogurt as she thought about the previous night. "I so would have been able to fit through that vent months ago," she thought to herself in frustration. The brand of yogurt Barbara was playing with claimed to be a food item that helped take inches off one's waist. "Probably baloney," Barbara thought with a smile. "But I guess it can't hurt, and I sure as hell am not going to skip the most important meal of the day. An empty stomach while working at the library makes for the longest hours of your life."

As Barbara put the spoon to her mouth she heard a knock at the door. Barbara peered through the peephole and saw a distorted image of her father, Commissioner James Gordon. Barbara attempted to wake up a little more as she opened her apartment door. "Hey," Barbara said following a yawn.

"Hello Barbara," Gordon replied as he gave his adoptive daughter a hug. "Just felt like dropping by to see how things were going."

"Even though you dropped by last week, and the week before that. You know I try to call pretty often…"

"Hey, in this place you can never check on your daughter enough," responded Commissioner Gordon. "Brought you some doughnuts, Barb."

"Oh, doughnuts," Barbara muttered rather unenthusiastically. "Actually, dad, I've gotten my fill of doughnuts at work. To tell you the truth, to the point where I've decided to start watching my figure."

"Don't be ridiculous, Barbara. There is not an extra pound on you, and I can't recall a time when there ever was. Even when you came back for winter break your freshman year and you swore to go on a diet."

"Dad, I appreciate the flattery, but if I recall correctly after finals the button on my favorite pair of jeans flew across the room. I definitely brought the freshman fifteen back with me…"

"As well as perfect grades," Gordon interrupted. "You've always been someone I can brag about down at headquarters. Which is where I'll be taking these I guess. Bullock will down them no problem. I don't think he's watched his weight since the Ford Administration."

--------------------------

Later than night, Batgirl stood on top of a roof, nibbling on a Slim Fast bar she had bought during her lunch break that day and stuffed in her utility belt. She wondered how her friends could possibly swear by the things. "You know, Bullock seems to be perfectly content the way he is," Batgirl said to herself.

"Well if you do go that route, I'm so not going to try to catch you should you ever fall," Robin laughed as he leaped onto the roof from an adjacent building. He noticed the bar in Batgirl's hand. "You eat those things?"

"Ever since I apparently remind people of Winnie the Pooh," Barbara said as she stepped closer to the Boy Wonder.

"C'mon, I was just teasing. You're not _that_ fat…"

Batgirl placed her hands on her hips and gave him a look like she was just about to take a swing.

"I'm kidding. You look fine, and I'm sure if you hang out with me you'll be back in butt kicking form in no time."

Batgirl spent the night with Robin rounding up various thugs. Barbara felt a certain amount of excitement every time she landed a roundhouse kick on a random punk. Batgirl even managed to block some punches headed in Robin's direction a couple of times during the night, although she figured Robin would tell Bats it was the other way around. She wondered how she could have ever given up crime fighting. It managed to give her a sense of fulfillment that she would certainly never get at the library, and one she couldn't pursue as Barbara Gordon: too short for the police force.

A few hours later, Batgirl found herself sitting on a ledge with Robin during some down time. "Hey, would you like to get a burger or something?" Robin asked. "Batman is always going on about the cover of darkness but you seem to be pretty cool."

"Oh wow, a burger?" Batgirl said sarcastically. "Batman certainly taught you how to impress a girl, didn't he?"

Robin chuckled a bit. "So how about it?"

Batgirl stood up and stretched her arms a bit. "I'd love too…but I'm on a diet. Maybe some other time." Barbara winked at Robin before grabbing her grappling gun and swinging off into the night.

-----------------------

After getting comfortable in front of her television Barbara Gordon switched on the Gotham news encore. After a news story on Batman and Robin appeared on the screen Barbara thought about her outing with "pixie boots". She had been pretty good about watching her caloric intake the whole day and almost took him up on the offer, but the temptation to see him squirm a little longer was just too much. Before Batgirl was about to turn off the television and finally go to bed a news story about an Arkham breakout caught her attention. Apparently the Scarecrow had just managed to escape from Arkham Asylum earlier that evening. "Good thing I got practice tonight," Barbara whispered to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Batgirl in Wonderland

Barbara Gordon walked into her apartment after another long shift at Gotham's library. It had been a week since her adventure with Robin, where they both managed to round up several punks. It also marked a week since she went on a diet, and Babs kicked off her shoes as she headed for her bathroom scale. She reflected on the past week as she felt the cold metal of the scale beneath her feet. Not only was she getting used to preparing healthy meals as opposed to going the quick and easy path of fast food, she managed to kick some butt as Batgirl along the way. As she looked down she concluded both activities paid off, as she was now five pounds lighter. She also concluded that her scale was rather dusty from lack of use, as last week was the first time she weighed herself since…probably moving in (which she also concluded was possibly the reason she was in this predicament in the first place).

Barbara was just about to put her legs up on her coffee table and maybe even fall asleep to the television when something in the sky caught her eye. She stepped towards her window and saw that the bat-signal was on. "I guess I can still muster a little energy for a night out," she said to herself as she walked over to her bedroom.

Batgirl swung over near the location of the Bat-Signal. She was hesitant to leap onto the exact building due to paranoia regarding her father. She could never shake the feeling that Commissioner Gordon would be able to see right through the cape and cowl and recognize his daughter as Batgirl. She hid herself behind a chimney and peered over, spotting Batman and Robin alone on the adjacent roof. She then saw Batman give what appeared to be a slight smirk as he gave the "come over here" mannerism with his hand. Barbara's stomach felt like it did a back flip as she wondered just how the heck he did stuff like that.

"So I heard you've managed to do a decent job this last week," Batman said in his usual gravelly voice.

"I'd like to think so, all things considered," Batgirl replied in an attempt at confidence in front of the always-opposing form of the Dark Knight.

"Well I got a favor to ask of you."

"Anything, sir."

"Robin and I just got word from the Commissioner that Scarecrow will attempt to hit a runway modeling event tonight. Apparently he not only wants to grab some of the jewelry the models will be modeling, but he'd also like to see how the 'beautiful people' react to his fear gas. Scarecrow has been recruiting thugs for his cause and I'd like Robin's help on this one, so I'd like you to look into Mad Hatter's current activities. He's been stealing holographic technology since his last escape, I would presume so he could create his Wonderland fantasy. Here is the location of where he's been frequently spotted. I think you can handle it."

"I'll do my best," Batgirl responded as she took the address from Batman.

-------------------------

Batgirl headed over to the address the Mad Hatter had been spotted around several times in the last few days. The building appeared to be long deserted and no lights were on inside. She spotted a large window on the side of the building that was open and slipped through the opening. As her yellow boots made a clanging sound with the floor of the building Barbara thought about whether this was a trap or not. Suddenly the consistency of the floor seemed to change, and instead of feeling metal under her feet Batgirl felt grass. She figured Mad Hatter must have set up the holographic technology he had stolen throughout the building, and her hypothesis was confirmed when she heard the villain's voice over an intercom.

"Oh how I love the story of Alice in Wonderland," the Mad Hatter began. "I sure hope the tale of Batgirl in Wonderland will be a worthy re-imagining!"

Batgirl looked ahead and saw a large rabbit looking at a watch. "Oh, I'm so very late!" the rabbit fretted as he hopped through a medium sized hole in a small hill. Batgirl walked a few feet and then started to crawl towards the infamous rabbit hole. Like the vent from several nights ago, it looked like it would be a tight fit. Batgirl remembered Robin's comments from that night. If Mad Hatter decided to make the hole small enough, she could very well end up "stuck like Winnie the Pooh". But at the same time, she'd probably have to play through the Wonderland story if she wanted to find a way out of this hologram mess. Batgirl managed to successfully squeeze through the rabbit hole, only getting stuck for a couple of seconds until she grabbed a hold of the small cave's walls and pushed off. She wondered if Hatter reduced the size of the rabbit hole while she was going through just to get a laugh, but in any event she was able to get through. She had little time to celebrate, however, as she suddenly felt herself falling. Batgirl landed stomach first on a checkered floor. There was no time to really catch the breath that had been knocked out of her, as the rabbit was now headed down a long hallway. Batgirl ran after the rabbit and saw him quickly make his way through a door at the end of the hall. Batgirl hustled down the hallway to the door and opened it, only to find another door, this time smaller than the first door. Batgirl opened the second door to find a third, even smaller door. Batgirl did not like where this was going. Batgirl opened the third door and found a fourth door. She had to bend down to reach the handle of the fourth door, and when she opened it up she found one more door, this one the size of a doggy door. Batgirl groaned as she opened this door, and was relieved to find it was the last one.

"That door is way too small," Batgirl said quietly to herself. "If I couldn't get through that vent, there is no way I'll fit through this." Batgirl looked the other way and saw a cookie and a bottle of liquid on the ground. On the cookie the words "eat me" were written in frosting. Batgirl recalled the Alice story and figured consumption of Wonderland food items would help her change her size in the holographic program. "Now if I eat this, I should be small enough to get through. Or is it the liquid? Only one way to find out." Batgirl opened the tiny door and ate the cookie. Batgirl couldn't help but chuckle a little as she wondered whether eating holographic sweets counted as cheating on her diet. It didn't taste like anything, might as well have been trying to eat air, as the cookie disappeared when it entered her mouth. However, the program registered the cookie eating in a way expected of a Wonderland recreation. It wasn't the way Batgirl had been hoping though, as her surroundings seemed to be shrinking around her. Batgirl knew she wasn't really growing; it was the hologram that was decreasing in size giving her the impression that she was getting large. However, that didn't make any difference when she bumped her head on the ceiling and started to feel cramped, her legs bent and her yellow boot clad feet up against the wall. Barbara reached for the now tiny bottle of liquid, and tried to pry the top off with her now seemingly large fingers. When the top finally came down Batgirl downed the liquid, and breathed a sigh of relief, as she seemed to shrink down. Barbara Gordon noticed her surroundings seemed to grow, including the tiny door. Now seemingly small, Batgirl walked through the door.

"Ah, I couldn't have you enter Wonderland without that classic beginning," Mad Hatter spoke over the intercom. Next thing Batgirl knew, she was apparently normal size again and in a bright and colorful world. She spotted the white rabbit once again, in front of a house. Batgirl was about to approach the rabbit when she heard Hatter's voice again.

"Batgirl, about we speed things up a bit?"

From behind rabbit's house appeared the Queen of Hearts, as well as Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and the Mad Hatter himself. "I felt a little like speeding through the story tonight, so sue me!" Mad Hatter cackled.

"Off with Batgirl's head!" screamed the queen as she charged for Batgirl. Barbara jumped forward and delivered a kick to the queen's stomach that sent her backwards. As Batgirl tried to study her surroundings for other enemies Tweedle Dee managed to sneak up on her from behind and put her in a full nelson hold. Batgirl struggled to free her arms from Dee's grasp but the bulky Wonderland resident proved too strong. Tweedle Dum then rushed towards Batgirl as if to gore her. "Ah, a tag-team move, eh?" Batgirl thought to herself. Batgirl propelled herself into the air as best she could with someone's grip on her. She could feel Dum's head run into her cape, barely missing her back but slamming into Tweedle Dee's gut, sending them all backwards. Tweedle Dee lost his grip on Batgirl's arms on the way down, and after a few tugs on her cape Batgirl managed to free herself from the mass of humanity that was now lying on the ground. Mad Hatter stood several feet away, a controller in hand. "Time for you to meet more of Wonderland's inhabitants", he giggled.

Batgirl found herself surrounded by fierce, demented looking versions of the caterpillar, march hare, the walrus, and the carpenter. She decided to duck into the rabbit's house, and perhaps find a way to catch them off guard once inside. She ran up the stairs, looking for a place where she could hide and then attack them by surprise. She bumped into a table and knocked over a small box. Cookies similar to the ones in front of the small door spilled onto the floor. Batgirl decided that it was about time she got this Wonderland story working in her favor. Batgirl picked up one of the cookies. "I can't believe I've found myself in a situation where I wanted cookies to make me increase in size," Batgirl uttered to herself as she took a bite. Mad Hatter was halfway up the stairs when he stopped in his tracks, spotting the cookie in Batgirl's hand. "I knew I shouldn't have put those there," Mad Hatter said as he started to run in the other direction. Batgirl followed him down the stairs, and as she started to grow she leapt at the Hatter and grabbed him with her now larger hand as he ran out the door.

"Turn it off…now!" Batgirl ordered as she tightened her grip on the Mad Hatter.

"Foiled again by a flying rodent," Mad Hatter said in a depressed tone as he started pressing buttons and ended the holographic simulation.

--------------------------

Barbara Gordon was lying down on her couch, watching the news, as her eyelids got heavier from fatigue. The next news story caused her to wake up a bit. Footage aired from the modeling event Batman and Robin confronted the Scarecrow at. Batman and Robin were busy trying to take out all of Scarecrow's thugs as Scarecrow launched his fear gas onto the runway. The cameras picked up images of models becoming horrified as the gas took effect. One tried looking at her reflection in nearby glass. "Oh God, I'm so old," she cried after taking a look at herself. Another model looked down at herself and shrieked something about being fat.

"Although Batman and Robin managed to round up many of the criminals at the event, the Scarecrow managed to escape," the reporter said. Barbara turned off the television, and wondered if she was going to bump into the Scarecrow any time in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Insecurity

Barbara Gordon sat at her desk during another day working at the library. She had paperwork in front of her, but once again she wasn't concentrating on it. Instead she was looking across the room, admiring Dick Grayson from afar. Dick Grayson was studying at a table across the room with some blonde, and both seemed to be spending more time chatting about anything other than academics. Barbara wasn't exactly head over heels for Grayson, but she still found herself distracted just the same until a coworker tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hey Babs," said Betty, Barbara Gordon's fellow librarian. "They brought in doughnuts again."

"Oh Betty, thanks but…I'm still on a diet."

"Why on Earth are you watching your weight with such a great figure?" asked Betty. "One doughnut, what do you say?"

"I say I think you're trying to fatten me up," Barbara said with a slight giggle.

"If it would make guys like that look in my direction instead of yours, that may not be such a bad idea," Betty joked as she walked off. Barbara swung her chair around to see what she was talking about, and saw Dick Grayson approaching. His "study partner" had apparently left, and Barbara wondered what Dick was wanting.

"How can I help you Dick?" Barbara asked. "Looking for any specific book?"

"Actually, my brain is kind of fried after all the reading I've been doing…"Dick began. Barbara tried her best to hold back a smile after Dick tried to spoon-feed her what was likely a blatant lie. "I was thinking, if you're not busy tonight, maybe we could catch dinner and a movie?"

Barbara thought to herself about how lately she hadn't exactly been a social butterfly. She couldn't even really recall the last date she had been on. Out of her slight anxiety, Barbara once again found herself dropping a high-heeled shoe she had been dangling from her foot. It made a noticeable thud when it hit the floor. Barbara's face turned a slight red as she both wondered whether she could get away with wearing sneakers to work from now on and replied, "sure, that sounds great!"

After making plans with Dick, Barbara rose from her chair confidently. She was enthusiastic that she was going to be going out, and she would be having interaction with a guy that didn't wear pixie boots or was casting her in a caped crusader rendition of Alice in Wonderland. She was feeling so good about herself that she was in the mood for a slight deviation from her diet. Barbara walked over to the box of doughnuts and snatched something from the box as she looked at Betty with a smile.

------

Later that night, Barbara Gordon was getting ready to leave her apartment when she got a phone call from Dick.

"Hey, what's going on?" Barbara asked as she paced across her living room with phone in hand.

"I'm really sorry Babs, but something's come up. I think we might have to reschedule." As Dick Grayson was trying to explain Barbara eyed the bat signal in the Gotham night sky.

"Don't worry about it," Barbara said. "Kind of a funny coincidence, but something just came up that I have to attend to as well."

-------

A few minutes later Barbara Gordon was back in her Batgirl costume and making her way from building to building. She couldn't helped but be a little disappointed that her date got cancelled, but if she was able to bring some thugs to justice tonight her confidence would probably get another boost. Babs figured if Batman and Robin were busy with something big, there had to be some other crimes not being attended to. After patrolling Gotham for roughly a half an hour, Batgirl saw a jewelry store that had been broken into. Batgirl swooped down with her grappling hook and jumped inside through the broken window. Her heart began to beat a little faster when she saw one of the villains among all the other random criminal henchmen: the Scarecrow!

"Ah, I planned this little outing to keep my henchmen happy more than anything," the Scarecrow began. "But now I get to see what the female of caped crusading species is afraid of."

"No way, Scarecrow!" Batgirl blurted out as confidently as she could. She proceeded to give the nearest thug a taste of her boot, while following up with a punch to another. "Oh, that comeback sucked. I'm sorry," Batgirl said. "Cut me some slack, I'm just getting back into the game!" Batgirl jumped into the air and delivered a kick to the gut of another henchman. Batgirl stared at the former Arkham inmate in front of her, who was headed right back to the asylum if she had anything to say about it. She knew she had to act quickly, and attempted to deliver a roundhouse kick right to his masked face. Scarecrow managed to dodge the kick and grabbed her by the ankle.

"A little cocky are we?" Scarecrow cackled. "That won't last!" Scarecrow added as he sweeped Batgirl's other leg, bringing her to the floor. He then pressed a button near his wrist, spraying his fear gas in Batgirl's direction. Batgirl stood up and took several steps back, coughing as she tried to cover her nose and mouth.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Batgirl thought to herself. "Why didn't I think to get out a gas mask? Did I just think I could take him that quickly? It wouldn't have taken me more than a few moments. Like a rookie mistake…"

"Now, to see what insecurities are plaguing Batgirl," Scarecrow said as Batgirl stepped backwards.

Batgirl got a quick glance at herself in a nearby mirror and looked down. What she saw shocked her. Or maybe it was what she could no longer see. Her yellow boots were not in sight, her ability to view them being prevented by an increased midsection. Batgirl's utility belt looked like it was barely holding on around her waistline, a result of her having apparently let herself go during her time off. Batgirl couldn't believe it, but the visual of her apparently having become Fatgirl was too strong to shrug off.

Scarecrow began to laugh when he saw Batgirl placing her hand on her stomach in shock. "Oh no, don't tell me!" Scarecrow cackled. "Batgirl…Batgirl is afraid of getting fat? I expected that of those narcissistic models the other night, but not you! Oh well, sometimes the surprising ones are the most fun. Good luck in the battle of the bulge, Batgirl!" Scarecrow ran off with as much merchandise as he could as Batgirl tried to follow him. She ran as hard as she could, but the idea that she had put on weight was so strong that she got winded. As she put her hands on her knees and gasped for air, she wondered how she could have gained so much weight without noticing, and how she could have expected to be any good as a crime fighter when so out of shape.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Batgirl's Big Problem

Batgirl climbed up the wall of the apartment building, gasping for breath. With Scarecrow's gas in effect, Barbara felt as if she had several extra pounds to haul up the building. Finally crawling through the window of her apartment, Barbara felt drained and defeated. Scarecrow had escaped, and Batgirl couldn't help but let out a slightly self-depreciating chuckle. If Batman and Robin, the dynamic duo that were the best at what they do, weren't able to apprehend Scarecrow, what made her think she could? Babs then muttered to herself as she removed her cape and cowl. "Oh yeah, that's right. This caped crusader was in denial of how out of shape she had become." Not long afterwards, Barbara Gordon passed out on her bed, not bothering to take off her costume.

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Barbara awoke to the sound of knocking on her door. After a few seconds of coming to her senses, Barbara began to panic. "I'll be there in a minute!" she yelled as she unfastened her utility belt and tossed it into her closet. As she made her way to her closet, she reached down to pull off her boots, dropping them to the floor then kicking them under her bed with her foot. As her visitor knocked again, Barbara put her favorite robe around herself to hide the rest of her costume. As she tied the robe's belt around her waist, she darted over to her door. The feeling of cold tile under her bare feet reminded Babs of the boots she had recently discarded, and the gloves she had forgotten to. Crap! Barbara quickly peeled off her gloves and rolled up the sleeves of her costume. Before looking into the door's peephole, she quickly stuffed the gloves into a drawer. When she saw that the person at the door was her father, Barbara let him in.

"Sorry I took so long," Barbara yawned. "Kind of had a rough night."

"They treating you okay at the library?" Jim Gordon asked.

"Oh absolutely," Barbara answered. "It's just I had a little research to do."

"Well I brought you a little something," Gordon said as he withdrew a box of chocolates. "Maybe you didn't want those doughnuts, but there is no reason why you can't occasionally treat yourself on this diet of yours."

"Thanks dad," Barbara smiled. "But knowing myself I'll probably just pig out on them tonight."

"That's fine too Barbara," Gordon chuckled. "No reason to feel bad about the occasional slip up and overindulgence. Just make sure you don't do it as often as Bullock."

"I'll try not to," Barbara said with a laugh.

-----

About an hour later, Barbara still felt tired. Thankfully it was her day off, so she didn't have to go anywhere right away. As Barbara fell backwards onto her bed with a sigh, she wondered if that break included Batgirl duty. "Oh please, of course it would," Barbara thought to herself. She sat up and pulled off the robe so she could take a look at herself in her mirror. Whatever Scarecrow had doused her with it was strong stuff. To anyone else it would have registered as Ms. Gordon looking at herself in a funhouse mirror with the picture being stretched out to make her look wider. To Babs, she couldn't throw away the idea that it was possibly real, her costume being very much stretched out due to added weight from months of relative inactivity. Barbara placed her right hand on what to her appeared to be a pretty good-sized potbelly.

"Like Mr. Incredible indeed," Barbara sighed a she once again recalled those ads for that new superhero movie. As she turned around to further examine herself in the mirror, her phone rang. Barbara stomped over to her desk to pick it up.

"Hello?" Barbara said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Hey there Babs," responded a cheerful woman on the other end. It was Betty, Barbara's co-worker at the library.

"Oh hi there," Babs answered, her spirits up a little.

"So…how was last night?" Betty asked.

"He cancelled," Barbara sighed.

"Oh, I'm sorry hon," Betty said in a sympathetic tone. "His loss. Anyway, I was wondering because there is this speed-dating thing going on tonight and I wondered if you wanted to come to."

Barbara thought about it for a few seconds. She wasn't really in the mood for dating, even if it was just talking to a bunch of different people very briefly. But then again, it did sound a lot better than moping around the apartment, reflecting on how much better her Batgirl costume once fit her and stuffing herself with chocolate until she burst out of it.

"Absolutely, I'll be there," Barbara finally answered.

-----

Later that night, Barbara and Betty were walking out of the speed dating session. Barbara had finally decided on a black dress that night that she felt was slimming, an effect she felt she desperately needed.

"Eh, I don't think I really clicked with anyone," Betty complained. "But I think they sure liked you!" Betty noted, giving Barbara a small playful shove.

"Oh please," Barbara said.

"No really, there were so many guys there that couldn't take their eyes off you! I can't believe you're so bent on being on a diet after Dick Grayson and back there…"

"I just feel really bloated and out of shape," Barbara said trying to defend herself.

"Well you sure don't look it hon," Betty said. "Anyway, my apartment is just up ahead. I'll see you at work!"

Barbara smiled as Betty walked off. It was nice that her friend was trying to make her feel better about it. Barbara just couldn't help but regret not having kept up with exercising and watching what she ate. As Barbara made her way back to her apartment, she once again recalled her freshman year of college. Even when the freshman 15 had creeped up on her, she took the measures to handle it. Yet she couldn't do the same after making a commitment to being a crime fighter?

Barbara's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of a woman's scream. Babs figured it couldn't be too far off. She wondered at first if Batman or Robin might be around to stop it, but then something inside her went off. "Time to stop feeling sorry for yourself Barbara," she thought. "Someone could be in trouble, and Batgirl or Fatgirl, I might be the only one to come to her aide!" Barbara reached for all of the components of her costume as quickly as possible and darted off into action. Across the street she saw a blonde woman struggling with a mugger for her purse.

"Hey you!" Batgirl shouted. "You seem to be able to pick on one woman easily enough, how about taking on another?" The criminal withdrew a switchblade, and Batgirl responded with a roundhouse kick to the thug's hand, sending the weapon flying. She then delivered a punch to the man's face, sending a tooth flying as well.

"Thank you so much Ms. Batgirl!" the woman cried as she put her arms around Batgirl for a hug.

"Really ma'am, just doing my job," Batgirl responded, attempting a confident tone. When Barbara saw the cops headed their way, she withdrew a grappling hook and set her sights for the top of the nearest building.

-----

When Batgirl reached the top of the building, what she saw almost made her jump back. Power Girl stood in front of her with a smile.

"Nice work, Bats," Power Girl said.

"What are you doing here?" Batgirl asked.

"Well I saw that woman in trouble while I was flying about, figured roughing up that punk would help me burn off a little of that big dinner I had."

Batgirl chuckled. "Yeah, well I need to burn off a hell of a lot more than that."

"You joking? You look amazing! I know you took some time off, but since you've come back you've really been kicking ass and taking names…"

"Mad Hatter?" Batgirl responded. "Batman probably could have taken him down in his sleep."

"Well he didn't, did he? You did. You gotta give yourself more credit for being able to do so well in so little time. I mean, if I took time off, I would get so rusty. Not to mention, without the running around, I'd probably…" Power Girl proceeded to puff out her cheeks and stick out her arms, mimicking getting fat.

Batgirl laughed. "Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback. Y'know, when I decided to do the Batgirl thing again I really felt better than ever. It wasn't until I bumped into the Scarecrow that…that's it! That damn fear gas! You know, I was a little preoccupied with my weight before this, but it wasn't until I got hit with that stuff that I felt huge."

"Well take it from me, you look terrific," Power Girl said as she got ready to fly off. "And you'll look even better when you kick the ass of that Wizard of Oz reject!"

As Power Girl flew off, Batgirl wondered to herself whether she could actually stand a chance in a rematch with the Scarecrow. Maybe she should leave him to Batman and Robin. One way or another, Barbara Gordon felt a little better about being back in her Batgirl costume.


	6. Chapter 6

Batgirl: Gotham Gal

Part Six: Facing Fear

Barbara Gordon felt that this would be a long day as she sat at her desk in the Gotham library. Nothing was coming up that would keep her busy and keep her mind off her growling stomach. She had left her apartment in such a rush that she had forgotten to eat breakfast. At least that's how she chose to remember it. Barbara tried to convince herself that she knew better than to have skipped breakfast to try to lose weight. She remembered college roommates who used to do the same thing whenever they couldn't button their jeans or noticed a few extra pounds. That strategy never worked for them: they would always end up eating even more later on and find themselves with more of a weight problem than they had before.

Barbara Gordon wondered what influenced her to make that decision. Was it due to her original concern over her weight? Couldn't be. She was sure that she never would have made a choice like that unless the Scarecrow's gas was still having an affect. How strong could that stuff be? It had been a little over a week since her encounter with the Scarecrow. Did Batman have problems like this? Maybe the fear gas wasn't as big a problem for him because he had a treatment for it. Barbara felt like kicking herself for not approaching Batman about it. Then again, that might have ended up being a little embarrassing. She imagined how the beginning of the conversation would go. "Hey Batman, I was wondering if you had anything that would treat exposure to the Scarecrow's fear inducing chemical. You see, I crossed paths with him and ever since every day has been a 'fat day' for me."

That's when Barbara knew what she was going to be doing with her next few days off. She'd be spending the nights looking for that Wizard of Oz reject. No way was he going to be getting the last laugh over Batgirl. Researching the Scarecrow for his possible whereabouts was something she could also occupy her time with now. She lucked out, as the library did not seem very busy that day. Barbara spent a lot of time looking over newspaper archives related to Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow. She wanted to find anything that could give a hint as to where he could be hiding out. Just patrolling the streets at night without direction could take forever. Odds are Batman and Robin would get him first, and Barbara wanted to be able to show them that she was just as capable. She wrote down the locations of old hideouts, but would Scarecrow really be so bold that he'd stay somewhere that had already been discovered? She supposed that it could be possible if he were confident that he could get everyone running off scared anyway. Barbara took a bite out of a doughnut as she wrote the name down of another possible location. "Screw the supermodel diet," Barbara said to herself as she took another bite.

After a few hours Barbara Gordon decided to hit the books. One book that she definitely wanted to look through was one that was written by Dr. Harleen Quinzell. It was a book that was checked out an awful lot when it was first released. Barbara Gordon remembered many people who checked it out claimed they weren't really into reading, but they were curious to read something written by the psychiatrist who would later become as psychotic as the people she was trying to help. There had been some controversy as to whether or not her journal entries should have been released as a book, but the chance to cash in on the infamy of "Harley Quinn" won out.

Barbara had previously only had the chance to skim through the book quickly, but she remembered that Quinzell actually had done some great work in getting interesting life stories from some of Arkham Asylum's residents. She found herself reading through the chapters about other criminals as well. The journal entries about the Joker were particularly fascinating, as he was the primary influence on her going mad. Barbara became hooked, sitting down at a table upstairs, her feet resting on an adjacent chair. An engrossed Barbara Gordon finally reached the chapter on Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow. Taking a bite of her second doughnut, Barbara began to read about Quinzell's recollection of what Crane had told her. According to the book, one of Crane's earliest memories of his fascination with fear was when he went to the movies with his father as a child. Crane recalled the time he went to see Psycho at Gotham's old drive-in theater. Crane said he could never forget the crowd's reaction to the ending of the film with the discovery of Mrs. Bates' body. He said the terror that swept across the drive-in was amazing.

Maybe that was it, Barbara Gordon thought.

Perhaps Jonathan Crane was hiding out near the old drive-in, the location where his fixation on fear began. It was a long shot, but an educated guess beat wandering around the city at random. As Barbara Gordon sat up and slipped her feet back into the high heeled shoes she had left laying on the ground, she wondered if Batman and Robin were discovering the location of Scarecrow's headquarters right then. "Still worth a try tonight either way," Barbara said to herself.

Batgirl stood on the rooftop of an apartment building which stood next to the site of the old Gotham drive-in. It had closed down several years ago. Babs remembered her father taking her to one of the last screenings the drive-in would host, The Mark of Zorro. She didn't recall a whole lot about the movie, but she remembered enjoying her father's company on one of his nights off that seemed too few and far between. Batgirl looked beyond the drive-in and saw the abandoned factory across the street. Barbara figured that the drive-in's building adjacent to the screen was probably a little too small for Scarecrow's operation, so if he were hiding out in this neighborhood the factory next door was probably the place. She secured a rope to the side of the apartment building and lowered herself down to the ground. As Barbara Gordon looked at the torn movie screen flapping in the wind, she imagined Psycho playing on it. She made her way through the old drive-in, walking toward the just-as-dilapidated factory building.

Batgirl aimed her grappling hook gun at the factory and fired toward the roof. She made her way up the building slowly, looking in nearby windows for possible activity. Barbara Gordon had to stop to catch her breath once she made it to the top. "Am I really in good enough shape to do this? I doubt Batman ever gets winded like this," Batgirl said to herself. She then shook her head no. She couldn't think like this, not if she was going to get Scarecrow and show him that he wasn't going to get the best of her. Batgirl took a few steps toward a skylight and saw her target. Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, looking at a computer monitor. There he was, right where a caped crusader could spot him. Barbara's heart began to race. She was able to successfully track him down, based on her reading activities at the good old Gotham library. She couldn't wait anymore, she wanted to catch him off guard. Batgirl took some steps back and then charged the skylight, crashing through it and making an entrance that she hoped would scare Crane. "A taste of his own medicine," Barbara thought. She did see Scarecrow jump at the sound of the glass shattering. Batgirl ran over to him as quickly as she could and gave Crane the hardest right hook she could muster. Scarecrow dropped to the ground, and Batgirl tried to keep him there by putting the heel of her boot up against his neck. "Not going to put up as much of a fight as last time?" Barbara asked.

"Of course I am," responded the Scarecrow. Except the voice didn't come from the man whose neck was now under her foot. "I'm just wondering now if you'll be doing the same." Batgirl could tell now that the voice was coming from a speaker in the room. "While my decoy didn't put up much of a fight, he has gotten you to enter the room like I hoped you would. He'll unfortunately also be exposed to the fear toxin that is already filling the room, but sacrifices have to be made sometimes."

"I should have known better," Barbara thought to herself. "I thought I was so clever figuring out a possible location for his hideout, but Crane was prepared, and I charged right into a trap."

The fake Scarecrow started to whimper. "Oh…bees, they're everywhere!" He quickly took off his mask and covered his face. "Get them off!" He cowered into a corner. Batgirl felt a chill down her spine watching the Scarecrow's lackey freak out. She wondered when her fears were going to surface again. Batgirl dug into her belt for the gas mask she had remembered to bring this time, but she had a feeling that it was already too late. When she looked down at her belt, all she could see was a midsection that looked like she had eaten every last doughnut that was ever brought into the Gotham Library!

"It's just the fear gas," Batgirl thought to herself. "I know I've put on a little weight, but I'm not really that huge."

The Scarecrow's goons started to enter the room, watching Batgirl as she looked down at her figure.

"Whoa Batgirl, you have gotten fat!" taunted one of the criminals.

"It's a shame when crime fighters let themselves go," said another.

"Really?" asked one of the other goons.

"No!" he laughed, giving a kick that sent the distracted Batgirl flying backward.

When Batgirl looked up, she could see the Scarecrow's lackeys getting closer. Maybe all of that extra weight blocking her view of the scumbags wasn't real, but she feared enough of it was real enough to keep her from being in good enough shape to fight them off.


	7. Chapter 7

Batgirl: Gotham Gal

Part Seven: Frightful Face-Off

Batgirl tried to ignore the thugs' laughter as she slowly got her feet. Cornered, she looked down, taking note of her blown up body. A massive abdomen blocked her view of her yellow boots. While Scarecrow's henchmen actually saw a super heroine that they would consider a knockout, they knew playing into her insecurities would make this fight a walk in the park.

"She looks like a balloon that should be floating down Gotham Square!" laughed one of the criminals.

Batgirl waddled over to the punk that had just spoken and took a swing. Her center of gravity felt off, and he was able to dodge her fist with ease.

I know this is mostly a trick, Barbara Gordon thought to herself as she ducked under the punk's counter punch. A result of the Scarecrow's drugs. My worry over my recent weight fluctuation exaggerated. Still, I can't help but feel huge, and it's throwing off my fighting!

Another criminal kicked Batgirl from behind, making her land face first on the wood floor below.

"You're quite a large target, Fatgirl!"

"Enough!" erupted the voice of Scarecrow. Batgirl hadn't yet turned around, but she could tell that he was now in the room. "I appreciate you getting things started with this portly protector of Gotham, but I know full well there is more for her to fear than fat."

Batgirl rolled over on the ground to see the masked madman enter the room. Still partially stunned, she was too slow to stop two thugs from grabbing her by the arms while a third ripped the gas mask off of her face. They laughed as they pretended to have a hard time lifting her to her feet.

"Whoa, she's heavy," snickered one of the thugs.

"Perhaps," continued the Scarecrow. To Batgirl he seemed skinnier than ever compared to her unbelievable bulk. "However, I know that a dedicated crime fighter such as Batgirl has other terrors running through her mind. No way is she as vapid and shallow as those supermodels that worry over every pound. No, there is more that she must dread, and soon she's going to face it!"

Scarecrow removed a skull shaped object from his belt and sprayed it directly in the face of the restrained Batgirl. The thugs let her go as she started to violently cough.

There was nothing in front of Batgirl at first other than indistinct lights and smudges. As she stumbled forward, things started to slowly become clear. Brick walls came into view on either side, but they got closer together as she took more steps. Batgirl's movement was forced to become even slower as the space between the walls got narrower. Eventually she was wedged between the two walls, stuck in a space she could have gotten her previously slender frame through with ease.

Batgirl tried to free herself with a tug, but her excessive mass kept her pinned. _Bang!_ A shot rang out and interrupted her thoughts. _Bang!_

Batgirl looked to her right, and tears immediately began rolling down her large cheeks. The man lying in the street was wearing a familiar coat. Blood began to pool around the body, soaking it in a sickening crimson. She didn't need a closer look to know whose body was lying there.

"Daddy!" Barbara screamed as she freed herself with a forceful yank. She ran into the street and slid down.

"C'mon! Talk to me! Not you! Please no!" Her vision blurred by tears, Barbara wasn't able to see her father's face. Her sense of hearing on the other hand picked up on a frightful cackle.

"That's the good stuff!" Scarecrow laughed. "That's what I like to see!"

Her vision still blocked from crying, Batgirl none the less rose and followed the sound of the laughter. Her unfamiliar heaviness nearly tipped her over, but she was determined to keep her footing. She could only manage a waddle at first, but the continuing laughter fueled her body to move faster. When the laughter stopped, Batgirl took a wild swing and caught a bony chest with her fist.

"No wait!" the voice begged. "You're beyond obese and in no shape to fight, remember?"

With a shriek that sent a shiver down Jonathan Crane's spine, Batgirl delivered another punch to his chest. As he fell, Batgirl came down with him, sending more fists to his masked face.

"No! No!" Not being able to see Scarecrow's face, Batgirl's hint that he was sufficiently pummeled was when he stopped begging. Her vision coming back, Batgirl turned around to the other thugs.

"The boss hit the wrong nerve!" one of them gasped. The next thing the criminal knew, a yellow boot was coming at his neck.

Batgirl looked down from the roof as Commissioner Gordon stared down at the handcuffed and tied Scarecrow and crew. She almost wanted to go down there to boast. To show her father what she had accomplished tonight. The memory of her hallucination was still too strong. Tears began to form again. What if she gave away her cover right there? Made her dad even more of a target than he already was as the father of Batgirl? When she saw the commissioner look up, Batgirl did her best to slink into the shadows quickly.

Batgirl couldn't believe she was still trembling as she fidgeted with her apartment window. She knew she had to hurry before someone spotted her. As she slid the window open, she thought to herself how she should feel relieved right now. Scarecrow was on his way back to Arkham, and she did it by herself. It's too bad a victory over Scarecrow is never enjoyable. A caped crusader may save the day, but by the end their darkest fears have paid them a visit. At least she saw her father alive tonight. Not up close, but she was glad she was able to see the reality of his continuing life.

Stumbling around her apartment, Batgirl recalled her grappling hook swings across Gotham. After the first few buildings, it stopped feeling like she was hauling around a few hundred extra pounds. She hurried over to her bathroom and switched on the light. She nearly jumped at the sight of seeing a slim Batgirl again! She turned to get a look at her profile. Placing her hands on her stomach, Barbara couldn't help but grin. Gone was the pot belly that she noticed at the Gotham Library. For the first time she was able to see that she was truly back in business.


End file.
